How To Play The Game
by Lonescout
Summary: Ayame was raised to become a ferry girl, but can it truly make her happy? Meanwhile, the orphan Kuronue had given up getting close to anyone, but can a smooth-talking fox break this vow?
1. Chapter 1 - The Cost of Life

Title: How To Play The Game

Chapter: Chapter 1 - The Cost of Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho nor any of its characters. I can't even claim the characters I've created as they tend to wrestle themselves away to be their own person.

Characters: The story focuses on two people's lives. Ayame (the black haired ferry girl) and Kuronue.

AN: While I hope everything flows smoothly and there are no mistakes, life is not always perfect that way. I check and recheck the chapters myself but I have no Beta, so if there are mistakes or confusion, please send some constructive crits and I'll do my best to adjust. xoxo

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><p>~Nameless Girl~<p>

The stars still shimmered in the far off sky as a young child stepped onto the balcony. Moonlight illuminated her purple eyes, though it wasn't enough to lift the ebony of her cropped hair. Even standing on her tiptoes, the girl had to make a great effort to clamber on to the railing. Her bare feet scraped along the rough surface before dropping down on the other side. There the girl let her legs sway as she looked towards Reikai's horizon for the upcoming sun rise. She deeply enjoyed the peaceful view her family's modest house gave of the surrounding land. Being of little importance to King Yama, they lived on the edge of the town surrounding his palace. Her parents lamented this fact on a daily basis; always wishing to secure a place inside of the palace's outer walls. Of course, only the most important spirits serving King Yama were graced with that opportunity. The girl's father came from a long line of carpenters with skill that only generations of honing could provide. The girl's mother could best be described as a socialite, not having any skill the girl could deem useful enough otherwise. Even if either of them had the potential to serve King Yama, he had long since stopped recruiting workers. It was with the small girl that the parents' hopes and dreams for success laid. King Yama had announced the birth of his son, the prince Koenma, almost a century ago. The parents had quickly decided that it was well worth the loss of spirit energy and a portion of their souls that went into creating a child in Reikai if that child could secure a place working for Koenma. They even went so far as to not bother giving her a name, since those accepted into the royal workforce were renamed during their entrance ceremony. Further incentive, they called it. The girl called it a cruel and unusual punishment, but she forced acceptance of their view of her as an object, a path to greatness, rather than a daughter of their own essence, if it meant that they would look at her at all.

A content sigh escaped the young girl's lips as the first glimmer of the sun arrived. This sacred time where she didn't have to cook or clean the house; didn't have to study or train both her mind and spirit for the trials set out to applicants at the royal palace; didn't have to worry about what her parents would do if their nameless child failed the exams. Those thoughts always filled her head but the sunrise was her balm. Her sanctuary to strengthen herself for the day ahead. An escape, even for just a little while, to the harsh reality she lived in. The exam would be a turning point in her life and there was nothing she could do. As this specific exam could only ever be taken once, she would either pass it and ensure a job working for Koenma, or fail it and set off on her own. She would not be coming back to her parents' house in either situation.

"I will not miss it," she declared, if only to hear the conviction aloud. "I can see the sunrise from anywhere in the world, so why should I miss seeing it here?"

Deep down the girl knew the answer, even if she could not admit it to herself. For just shy of a century this had been her home. It was comfortable and familiar. She could sneak peeks at her father working so diligently on the carvings she yearned to help with. The girl had long since out passed her mother's skill in the kitchen but those days where her mother had struggled to teach the young girl what she knew were very precious memories. The time when she could think, "This is my family." She didn't want to leave this place yet. The girl ached to cry out that she wasn't ready. She was still three energy spurts away from becoming her ideal age and was very much a child, inside and out. But time was a treacherous beast and only moved steadily onward. The sun had finished rising and there were chores to be completed.

"Papa! Mama! It is time to wake up," she called as she flung herself back on the balcony and into the hallway beyond. Her feet padded softly toward the kitchen. She was still too short to reach much above the counter so she slid the heavy wooden stool across the tiled floors. Even with the care she took, there were still a few scraping sounds as she maneuvered the stool to the counter she needed to work on. She flinched and paused, expecting to hear a torrent of scolds. Grace this, elegance that, and flower everything else. A lady should be quietly unobtrusive. An ornament Koenma would be proud to have. A hard worker he would need. The young girl could recite it all verbatim. Her parents must not have heard any noise though for all the girl caught was the start of rushing water. With the coast clear she started preparing a breakfast of omelets and fresh fruit.

Breakfast was generally a quiet affair with Papa reading the newspaper and Mama going over her calendar for the day. As such, the girl was rather surprised when the silence was broken by her mother's silvery voice. "I need you to accompany me to the market after breakfast, child. There is so very much to buy for Friday's party." The confusion on the girl's face was clear as daylight since the mother followed with, "Your acceptance party. We know you shall not fail tomorrow's exam." She continued after a slight pause but her honeyed voice turned mocking. "You couldn't possibly forget that the exam is tomorrow, correct?"

"Oh yes, Mama. Of course, Mama. I just was not expecting a party." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. The music, the dancing, the laughter! Pretty dresses, delicious food, and of course time to talk with other children her age. While her mother didn't take her to all of the parties, she knew from the ones she had been to that she absolutely loved them. A thought suddenly pushed its way to the front of her mind and wiped the smile away. Training would start right after the exam results were posted. _They_ were having a party, not her.

A rich, throaty laugh caught the girl's attention. Her father's excitement was contagious and almost brought a smile back to the girl's face. "Not expecting a party? How else could we end these years of training you, little one? We must celebrate, for you'll be the key to our acceptance on the other side of those walls. High class for the rest of eternity."

Encouragement was what the girl really wanted to take away from all of this but every word was woven tightly to something darker. There was no room for failure. No acceptance of defeat. Pass or else, was all she could hear. It was much easier to clear her mind with the mechanical motions of washing dishes, so that's what she did. Finishing that, she got ready to leave the house.

The market was only a couple blocks away and the girl would have been there in half the time if not for her mother's slow and delicate footsteps. The girl also displayed a 'ladylike walk' her mother could find no reproach for, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. Especially as two children ran passed, bringing up clouds of dirt with every step. She heard her mother release a deep sigh with a click of the tongue. The mother was about to comment when she stopped short. A few houses up there was a quickly forming crowd that just gained two little additions. This was odd since they were still well enough away from the market. As a shrill cry filled the air, Mother and daughter made their way over to the gathering at a much quicker pace, though the elder would surely deny it. Spying ladies familiar to her, the mother lost all attention for her daughter. This gave the girl a chance to wiggle up towards the front of the house to get a better view. It took time but she finally got through the crowd. Glancing to her right she saw a strange looking boy standing next to her. With surprise she noted that the ears peeking out from a mass of dusky held a slight point to them, and it looked as though something was stuffed down the back of his disheveled top. Catching her stare, the boy turned his head to stare back. He was pale, far paler than anyone she'd ever seen and his violet eyes were wide in a look that could be called nothing but petrified. The urge to comfort him bubbled up from somewhere deep in her soul.

She finally stammered out, "Are you alright?"

At first she didn't believe he even heard her. The minutes stretch by locked in each other's gaze before the boy swallowed. He open his mouth to speak but all he got out was a squeak. Swallowing again he managed to whisper, "Mom is in there."

More cries and a guttural scream startled the children as their attention whipped back to the source. The house doors were shut tight, but not enough to dim the painful wails. Wails seemingly made worse by the sheer fact that they were most likely coming from the young boy's mother. All too suddenly the noise was cut off. The crowd fell silent as well until a new cry, an altogether different cry, drifted out. While the previous cries were full of life and power, these were soft , almost empty cries. The lungs creating them were much smaller, and so very frail. It wasn't long before everything went back to silence, at least inside the house. Outside the crowd was whipped into a frenzy with voices overlapping and cutting through everyone else's. The girl felt a snag on her arm as she was pulled away from the crowd. Her mother stood over her with a disapproving glare.

"We have business to take care of and have wasted enough time on these _demons._" The last word was spat with such venom that the girl flinched.

"Demons? But," The girl paused in thought before continuing, " but demons aren't allowed in Reikai. At least not_ here_ in Reikai. Did they... did they escape?" The idea filled her with dread, for demons were notoriously cutthroat and would kill and eat any spirit they could get their claws on.

"Of course not, child." Her mother said with a shake of her head as they resumed their trek to the market. "The woman used to be a respectable spirit, until she was ensnared by a filthy demon. That little slut bore him one child already and it seems as though she managed to conceive another before the Elite Soldiers caught up to him. She could have saved her reputation by getting rid of the half-breed brat. They say she actually wanted the demon. Loved him even. How vulgar. Children are dangerous business regardless and a second child is almost unheard of! It is only fitting that the second hell spawn used up too much of her soul. No chance of crossing over. Wiped clean from all the worlds." The satisfaction in her mother's voice repulsed her.

Remembering the young boy standing next to her in the crowd she shuttered, though not from disgust. Him being a demon certainly explained a few _points_ but he hadn't seemed scary at all. Only frightened. "What will happen to the first child?" The girl regretted her question the moment the words escaped.

"Oh I am sure they will do the only proper thing. Catch and kill him," the mother said with a laugh. The girl shuttered and it dawned on her that she would get no sleep that night.

"Great," the girl sighed. The mother, mistaking it as agreement to her own response, smiled even broader and vowed that, perhaps this child, where all of their hopes lay, might even deserve a treat, albeit a small one, once they got to the market.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Secret Broken

Title: How To Play

Chapter: Chapter 2 - A Secret Broken

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho nor any of its characters.

Characters: Kuronue and Ayame.

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><p>The Half-breed<p>

The clatter of dishes and a muffled cry jolted the young boy from his bed. His velvety wings spread out wide and he pushed what he could of the tangled jet black hair from his face. With a short hop he glided across the room and touched down at the doorway. The house was small enough to make such a trick pointless but the boy reveled in any opportunity he got to use his beloved wings as he had to hide them outside of the house. A few steps took him down the hallway and into the kitchen where is mother was leaning heavily on the counter.

"Mom?" the boy asked as he walked over to pick up the broken plates.

The woman tried to smile but it ended up more like a grimace. "I'm sorry sweetie. Did I wake you? I wasn't expecting such a kick!" She rubbed her enormous stomach with a shaking hand and took a deep breath. Her face looked drawn and even paler than it had the day before. "Please have a care, Kuronue. I don't want you to get cut."

Kuronue smiled and nodded, even though a silly little cut would heal before he even finished washing off the blood. Still, he indulged her if only to add a small dose of calm to her tightly bound nerves. "I'll be careful Mom. Why don't you have a seat. I can finish up breakfast."

Kuronue helped his mother cross the kitchen and let her down gently in the closest chair. Her added weight wasn't difficult for him, since even as a child he was clearly taking after his father's demon side. No, the problem came in moderating that strength, especially because of that extra weight his mother carried. Kuronue knew his little brother or sister was going to be a glutton for weren't they already trying to overeat their mom's spirit energy? As for himself, from what he managed to pry from his mother anyway, was that he hardly took much spirit energy in the womb and was a scrawny little thing when he was born. His parents feared he wouldn't survive the week but they had only begun to learn the sheer determination Kuronue held within himself. Surely if he, who ate very little at the start, could grow so strong, this little gorger would far surpass him. This set Kuronue into a merry whistle as he finished cleaning up the dishes and worked on getting their breakfast.

The bacon sizzled in the frying pan and while he scrunched up his nose in wonder that his mom could ever enjoy such a thing, he made no mention of the fact. For himself he preferred food that could be grown. The fresher the better and what could beat homegrown fruits and vegetables from the back yard. Where his mother lacked any hint of green on her thumbs, Kuronue more than made up for it. The garden was his pride and joy, made even better because unlike his wings he could share this garden with the world. Or at least his next door neighbor and sometimes vendors at the market. He even tried his hand at a few flowers for the sake of his mother, though for some reason or other he wasn't nearly as adept at assuring them a successful and long lifespan. It made his mother happy though and that's all the mattered. With his father still off in Makai his mother needed all the cheering he could get.

"Kurodear," his mother said with a slight cough, "It's burning."

With a startled yelp Kuronue took the pan off the fire and tried to wave some of the smoke away before it reached his mother. Instead he managed to toss the bacon onto the floor. After a brief coughing fit and some teary eyes on both sides, his mother laughed.

"Seems like it's just not our day." With a keen mother's instinct that her son's water eyes weren't from the smoke she was quick to reassure him. "But no fear! I think me and the little one would rather have some freshly baked biscuits from the market. Would you be a darling and fetch some for us?"

Kuronue rubbed at his eyes and, after thoroughly insisting it was from the smoke, agreed that biscuits sounded divine. He moved to dash out the door but his mother interrupted him.

"Your wings dear! Tuck them it," she hissed before adding, "and fix your hair too."

He complied before once again dashing toward the market. The line for the biscuits was tremendous. Kuronue shuffled back and forth, impatience gripping him like a vice. His poor mother must be starving and she could use all the energy she could get. After all, his little brother or sister could come along any day now. The thought sent a thrill down his spine. The thrill left him momentarily rigid and goose bumps raised on his arm_. _Kuronue shook himself to dispel it but parts of the feeling were still there, like tiny leeches eating away at him. Was the line ever going to hurry up? He huffed but refused to leave without getting what he came for. He strained politeness for the vendor but otherwise rushed the transaction. With a curt, "Thank you," he hastened back home.

As he neared his house a strange sight sent him toppling over his ever growing feet. He stood back up while hastily adjusting his top to cover his wings . Noticing the biscuits scattered on the ground he muttered a curse before turning to look at what startled him in the first place. There was a small crowd up ahead and he could sense a temporary barrier drawn up next to them. A barrier blocking both entrance and exit from the house. _His_ house. He stood dumbfounded until a sharp cry pierced his sensitive hearing.

"Mom!" Biscuits forgotten, Kuronue raced down the street and maneuvered through the crowd. Up close, the feeling of the barrier was more intense. Even without calculating it, Kuronue knew there was no chance he was breaking through that. Not even with the help from the group around him, though he was fairly sure they were a big reason the barrier was there in the first place. This whole situation rubbed him the wrong way. He knew Reikai's inhabitants shared no fondness for live demons, in fact very few areas even cared for the spirits of demons, but how could they have found out about his family? His mom assured him that before his dad left for Makai they took every precaution to hide the demonic ties their family held when they moved to this house. Hell, his dad left so early in life that Kuronue couldn't even remembered him. _So then, why the barrier? How did we slip up?_ Another pain filled cry sounded from the house. Kuronue's instinct was to race forward and hit the barrier until it gave way but he was too rooted to the spot. Each shout, growing ever more frequent, was like another nail holding him in place. He clenched and unclenched his fists but it did nothing to alleviate his pent up stress.

Mentally he waved away pesky and persistent thoughts until finally one thought could no longer be ignored. This idea, fueled by his senses and an even deeper feeling, completely stunned him. His mom was dying. Those cries went beyond normal child birth, even counting in a spirit birthing a half-demon. That raw pain told him with each sound that his mother was slipping away from him. There was nothing he could do to stop it. His clumsy actions this morning had even cost him the chance to be with her, be inside of the barrier with her, to comfort and protect her in her weakest moment. _Stupid!_ She needed energy and he was a willing source, if only he could reach her.

Kuronue had thus far gone unnoticed, just another kid in the crowd, but he soon felt the weight of another person's stare. Fear embraced him, made even blinking difficult. Still, he managed to turn to his left and found a girl his age staring at him. At least he assumed she was his age. Spirits were tricky creatures, not alive yet not wholly dead and hardly tied to the traditional form of aging. No, instead they gathered their energy and grew up in bursts. Sure, they could apply the energy steadily over time but it was difficult and rarely attempted. Since they generally chose when to apply those bursts, it wasn't easy to tell just how old a spirit was. Emotions tumbled clearly in her eyes, eyes so similar to his own odd shade.

Finally compassion won and the girl managed to ask, "Are you alright?"

_Alright?_ He wanted to say. _My mom is dying. My little sibling might be dying. I can't help them and you want to know if I'm alright?_ He wanted to say these things but he couldn't. He tried to hold on to those thoughts, any thoughts, but they slipped like sand through his fingers. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and open his mouth to yell at her. To tell her to mind her own business. All he got was a pitiful squeak. With one more swallow he forced words out, though they weren't anything close to what he meant to say to her. "Mom is in there."

Further conversation was rendered null and void by the agonizing shriek from his mother. All at once a chilling calm drug Kuronue down as he felt the life drain out of his mother and her spirit dissipate. It was almost nice, this lack of feeling. He could stay like this, and while he'd never truly be happy, he would never feel the hurt, the raw ache, that the loss of his mother could bring. But even the calm was taken from him when a new cry sounded, a small flicker of life. _Sister! _For Kuronue was absolutely sure the outburst had been female. _My sister survived! I have a sister. _With his mother gone the barrier had begun to fade as well. He could outrace anyone in the crowd and grab his sister before further harm could come to her. Together they would flee and find a new home. He would protect her. If only the barrier would weaken faster. Focusing his attention on this he was quick to realize something else. The cries were weak and growing fainter. Moments later there were no sounds to be heard at all. Shocked, he could only stare at the silent house.

The spell was broken when the combined voices of the crowd outside reached a fever pitch. Kuronue threw himself at the door only to meet with a physical pain worse than anything he'd felt before. The shock coursed through his body and sent him reeling backwards. With a howl of rage he jumped at the barrier again, unknowingly focused what he could of his demon energy. His wild punch met with resistance and though the energy crackled around him, he felt no pain this time. He would not back down. Could not back down. Even now the cries were nearly inaudible to even his acute hearing. His efforts paid off and he could feel himself shoving through the barrier, a wide crack spreading out in all directions from his fist. Grunting, he added his other fist to the fray and was delighted to hear the satisfying shatter of the barrier. Suddenly there was no resistance and all of his forward momentum careened him onto the kitchen floor. He brought his head up sharply and looked around. He mother lay only feet away. _Mom didn't even make it out of the kitchen._ The thought wretched at his heart. His gaze stayed glued to her face until the sight blurred out of view. Eyes stinging and throat burning, he turned his attention to the mass of blood and flesh by her feet. Kuronue lurched away from the lifeless form and begun to retch, though his stomach was far too empty to accomplish much. Each heave racked his body with tremors as he sobbed his grief away. _I can't handle this. Can't stay here._ Forcing movement to his limbs, Kuronue jerkily hobbled out the back door and into the garden. His choice was made none too soon as the braver spirits in the crowd finally decided to enter the house. Now that they knew Kuronue, a disgusting abomination to their pristine neighborhood, was inside, they couldn't very well leave him as he was. Like the loss of mother and child they so clearly felt minutes ago, this child needed to be gotten rid of as well.

In the garden Kuronue was once again at a loss. He was out of the house and away from his greatest source of distress but he hardly felt any better for it. The tangy scent of the blood was already reaching out to him. Trying to ensnare him once more. _But where can I go? That crowd of people isn't going to just let me pass._ Even if he could bring up the desire to fight them he had used up too much energy breaking through the barrier. The garden was enclosed on all sides by his neighbors' walls so there was no easy route there. _I could try to shove my way through one of the homes but I've never been inside any of them. I might find myself back with the crowd or a dead end._ A shudder coursed through him with the ending words. Seeking warmth the dispel the chill, he looked skyward at the steadily rising sun. He soon noticed that the roof didn't seem terribly far away. Especially to a bat demon with capable wings. It was such a shame that his growing body could only handle short bouts of flight or he would very well just fly away from the town.

"He's here! The half-breed is in the garden!" This shout of alarm set Kuronue's decision. With a fierce glare tossed at his betraying neighbor, he crouched low to the ground and flexed his wings as hard as he could. The back of his top ripped apart and his wings were quickly freed from their confinement. Taking only a couple flaps to work out the kinks, Kuronue surged skyward and landed on the roof in front of him. A momentary glance back at the forms entering the garden told him that they caught his direction but as yet had no simple way to follow him up. Kuronue took off at a sprint. He would cover as much ground as he could to distance himself from the people seeking him before keeping lower to the building and using what stealth he could manage to hide himself from any prying eyes. _If only I can hide long enough to think. I need to form a plan._


End file.
